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Single-Arm Tricep Pushdown

A unilateral cable pushdown that lets you address side-to-side tricep strength differences directly.

Setup

Set the cable pulley to a high position. Grip a single handle with one hand, elbow pinned to your side.

Movement

Push your hand down until your arm is fully extended. Keep your elbow still throughout — only your forearm should move. Squeeze at the bottom. Peak contraction point of the movement.

Return

Return with control and switch arms after the set. Train both sides for balanced development.

Common Mistake to Avoid

Letting the elbow drift away from the body. Same isolation principle as the standard pushdown — keep the elbow fixed.

Equipment Cable machine
Primary Muscles Triceps
Secondary Muscles None significant

Why it matters

Training one arm at a time removes the possibility of the stronger side compensating for the weaker one, which can happen with a two-handed bar pushdown. It also allows a slightly greater range of rotation and full extension than a fixed-bar attachment permits.

How to do it

  1. Set the cable pulley to a high position. Grip a single handle with one hand, elbow pinned to your side.
  2. Push your hand down until your arm is fully extended. Keep your elbow still throughout — only your forearm should move.
  3. Squeeze at the bottom. Peak contraction point of the movement.
  4. Return with control and switch arms after the set. Train both sides for balanced development.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbow drift away from the body. Same isolation principle as the standard pushdown — keep the elbow fixed.
  • Leaning the torso to assist the push. Using body weight reduces real tricep engagement.
  • Using too much weight, especially on the weaker side. Match the weight to what each arm can control with strict form, even if that means different loads aren't appropriate — actually the same weight should be used, just controlled by each arm independently.
  • Neglecting to train both sides evenly. Give both arms equal sets and attention, even if one is initially weaker.

Sets & reps by level

Beginner

3 sets of 12–15 reps per arm with light weight.

Intermediate

3–4 sets of 10–12 reps per arm at a moderate weight.

Advanced

4 sets of 10–15 reps per arm, sometimes used to specifically address a side-to-side strength imbalance.

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